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2 (2) DECLUTTERING THE STREET SCENE – The Director of Places submitted a report updating the Cabinet Member on the latest circular from the Department for Transport (DfT) in relation to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.

As a highway authority, the council regularly received circulars from the DfT. These updates helped the council operate effectively and in accordance with the most up to date and relevant legislation in discharging highway authority obligations.

The council had recently received a circular from the DfT setting out the details of the Traffic Sign Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD 2016) that came into force on 22 April 2016. The circular emphasised a need to reduce sign clutter, stating that “TSRGD 2016 contains a number of changes which will cut costs, complexity and sign clutter” and further that the “overuse of traffic signs blights our landscape, wastes taxpayers’ money and dilutes important road safety messages”.

As such, the TSRGD 2016 appeared to address a number of the regulatory restrictions that had so far hindered progress by local highway authorities in taking forward the government’s deregulatory programme. The DfT had stated that they expected local highway authorities to proactively make use of TSRGD 2016 to get rid of unwanted and unnecessary signs and to design signing schemes to minimise visual clutter from the outset. It would however take some time for officers to work through the new regulations and to fully understand their implications and the potential they presented to achieve a transformation of the local Highway Street Scene.

Resolved – That the proposal for officers to undertake a detailed review of the recently published Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016, with a view exploring the opportunities these presented to achieve a future transformation of the Highway Street Scene, be approved.

3 (3) PARKING RESTRICTIONS – HIGHCLIFF GARDENS, DE ASTON SQUARE, CONWAY SQUARE AND AVENUE VIVIAN, SCUNTHORPE – The Director of Places submitted report considering objections to the proposed Traffic Regulation Order on various streets in the Highcliff Gardens area of Scunthorpe.

The council had received complaints from residents about vehicles parking close to the junction of Highcliff Gardens and Avenue Vivian. The main complaint was that this caused difficulty when turning in to Highcliff Gardens. The concerns were that this limited visibility down the road.

A meeting was held recently with elected ward councillors.  They confirmed their support for option one, set out at paragraph 4.1 of the report, to approve the order.

Residents also had concerns about hospital staff parking on the road. They felt that all day parking resulted in a shortage of parking for residents.

Complaints were also received from a resident of Avenue Vivian. Their main complaint was about hospital staff parking outside their property. This was included in the order.

Informal consultation with residents raised issues on both De Aston Square and Conway Square. Restrictions to address these were also included in the order.

Resolved – (a) That the Traffic Regulation Order shown on the plans at Appendix 1 to the report be approved; (b) that officers carry out a review of the restrictions after six months, and (c) that officers write to residents advising them of the decision, following the normal statutory procedure.